Arriving for work at the U.K. Treasury last week, the incoming chief secretary, David Laws, found a note from his predecessor, Liam Byrne, offering advice on the job.
“Dear Chief Secretary, I’m afraid to tell you there’s no money left,” Laws cited it as saying.
“Which was honest,” Laws, whose position is the No. 2 in the Treasury after the chancellor of the exchequer, told a press conference in London today. “But slightly less than I was expecting.”
The note underscores the task facing Britain’s Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition as it seeks to reconcile demand for improved health and education services with promises to reduce the largest budget deficit since World War II.
It was also in the tradition of Reginald Maudling, Conservative chancellor of the exchequer from 1962 to 1964. Leaving his residence after election defeat, he was reported by James Callaghan, his successor, to have remarked, “Sorry, old cock, to leave it in this shape.”
Byrne didn’t respond to requests for comment. He was quoted by Sky News as saying the note was a joke. “I do hope David Laws’ sense of humour wasn’t another casualty of the coalition deal,” he said, according to Sky News.
According to the Treasury, the letter read as follows: “Dear Chief Secretary, I’m afraid there’s no money. Kind regards -- and good luck! Liam.”
Good article, thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteThere's no money left!
ReplyDeleteShould you choose to read it, this comment will self delete in 5 seconds*
* Patented Idea of Bang Chung Global Trading Co, BokChoy, China.
don't they say comedy is 95% truth?????
ReplyDeletePrint some more! Just ask Ben boy...
ReplyDeleteThe british pound has a limited future, as does our beloved dollar.
UK Treasury position turned over to Byrnes by Laws. Burnes laws just about sums up everything the treasury has done, pity we are not so linguistically creative in the US. Then again, we do have Obama going up against Osama (sort of).
ReplyDeleteThe word play makes one wonder if perhaps our leaders are slightly brighter than their political choices reflect; it's probably just a fluke.
Oh our 'leaders' are quite bright, in fact.
ReplyDeleteThey LOVE wordplay.
Largely the kind that's called 'Cabbalah'
Not so fast cuz
ReplyDeleteChina back on line in yesterdays treasury auctions
Big BIG buyers of our debt; once again
LOL...There's no money left. They're just now figuring that out! LOL
ReplyDeleteNot true!
ReplyDeleteBut very funny.
This is an "in joke" from one puppet of the elite class to the next.
With continued quantative easing in The UK as well as in the U.S. The new UK government can print as much money as they like.
Just like Ben does.
So which was it? "There's no money LEFT", or "there's no money"?
ReplyDeleteThese are quite different statements, especially for those aware of the present 'difficulties' with fiat currencies originating as credit from private fractional reserve banking cabals.
In a way it's literally true there's 'no money'. Anywhere in the world.
TerraHertz